Theorising the struggle for social recognition can be approached from numerous angles. One – rather cynical – account has been given by the nineteenth-century Norwegian-American economist Thorstein Veblen. In his view, the struggle for social standing is carried out in a specific area of communication which is antagonistic in nature. Central to his work...
Read more →In the sociology of consumption much emphasis has been directed towards the exchange-value of commodities. In contrast to use-value, the exchange-value of a commodity is based on equivalences which unfold when a product enters the market (commodification). In a capitalist system any object X can be made equivalent to a certain proportion of any...
Read more →Throughout history, sacrifice was the classic response in the event of a major catastrophe. In the interest of the lager good, society was required to scarify some of its consumer pleasures. However, since World War II, when the West has experienced serious austerity for the last time, things have changed drastically. Today, the response...
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